New
Delhi: Kumari Selja has called upon experts and stakeholders
in the tourism sector to develop world class tourism infrastructure
for putting India 's tourism industry on the world tourism
map. Inaugurating a workshop on the subject here today
she said, "We should look at comprehensive development
of infrastructure which includes roads, water, sanitation,
cleanliness, hygiene, proper lighting, landscape, signages
and proper maintenance of tourism destinations and heritage
sites." She said tourism and hospitality sectors contributes
six per cent of the GDP and certain streamlining is required
in infrastructure facilities. The Minister said during
the Commonwealth Games 2010 about one lakh visitors are
expected in the country and this gives us an opportunity
to have a relook on the present status of the physical
infrastructure for the tourists. Selja said, world class
tourism infrastructure facilities should not be limited
in cities like Delhi but also in far flung areas of the
country. She said her Ministry through rural tourism projects
is evolving a system to bring villages of the country
on the main tourist map. "We must set indicators for ourselves
to see if everything is going fine on the infrastructure
front for the visitors. We have to see tourism industry
from the point of view of tourists rather than our officialdom,"
she added. She also said that there must be better inter-ministerial
coordination and conversion of scheme for development
of infrastructure to have the desired results.-August
19, 2009